


Shower Songs

by TrappedInAPentagram



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Cute, First Kiss, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, No Smut, snuggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-18 07:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7306036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrappedInAPentagram/pseuds/TrappedInAPentagram
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arin finds out that his co-host enjoys singing in the shower, and he can't deny that he finds it particularly cute.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> depending on the feedback i get, i may or may not write more for this. for now, I'm only planning to do one chapter each from arin and then dan's point of view :3 leave some comments to let me know if you want to see more from this story or anything similar, i'm open to ideas X3
> 
> ps let it be said i know nothing about what the inside of the grump's house looks like or how they run their everyday lives, this is mostly from the figments of my imagination

Arin paused in the middle of assembling a sandwich, turning his head when he heard the front door of the Grumps house open. He immediately picked up on the long strides of Danny, not missing the way the door slammed a bit harder than usual. With a bit of a frown, he called out, "Is not-so-grump a bit more grump than usual?"

"I'm not in the mood," Dan sighed as he strolled into view, running his fingers through his mass of curly hair, only managing to tame the front half.

"What's up, man?" Arin asked, turning to give Dan his full attention, leaning back against the counter.

"It's nothing, just the shit fest that is Barry and I's apartment," Dan grumbled. "A water main or something broke and now the whole building is out of running water. Not even the goddamn toilets work, man, and Barry left a present in there that's already festering."

Arin snorted, "Oh come on, it can't be that bad. But that does sound suckish."

"Very suckish," Dan agreed. "I didn't get the chance to shower this morning," he added with a pout.

"Dude, just use the Grump community shower."

"You sure?"

"It's the Grump house for a reason," Arin grinned, gesturing down the hall. "What's here is everyone's to share."

"Are STDs included on that list?" Dan smirked, in reference to the sounds coming from the guest room down the hall that Ross and Holly were sharing.

"I sure hope not," Arin chuckled, glad to see Dan's humor was still in tact. "But really, take your time, we can start the sesh a little late."

"I appreciate it, man," Dan flashed a smile, making Arin's stomach tingle as he watched the older man take his leave and head to the bathroom.

With that settled, Arin went back to putting his masterpiece of a lunch together. As he started putting away the various ingredients, he paused, hearing music coming from down the hall over the sound of running water. More specifically, the sound of Dan's voice filtering through the door. Arin found himself walking closer without even meaning to, almost as if in a trance as the gentle tune of "Wish You were Here" from Dan's latest cover album washed over him. Did Dan always sing in the shower? Arin figured it shouldn't surprise him.

He leaned against the wall just outside the door to listen, the sandwich all but forgotten as he grinned giddily to himself, feeling like he was getting a private show. He glanced around to double check that no one else was experiencing this but him, the sense of greed nonsensical, as Dan did sell his own music, after all. Be that as it may, Arin shut his eyes to continue listening as Wish You were Here faded out. A few beats later, another song began; this time, it was the opening to "Your Love" by The Outfield, again from his new cover album.

"Arin's on a vacation far away," came the lyrics from behind the door, making Arin's face scrunch in confusion. He opened his eyes. He hadn't really just heard that, had he? 

"Come around and talk it over," Dan's song continued, "so many things that I wanna say, you know I like my guys a little bit younger."

Okay, he couldn't have misunderstood it that time. He'd only listened to Under the Covers about five times over by now, and knew most of the lyrics thanks to Danny's love of the 80's. But come on, it was as if Dan knew Arin were listening. Or he got zoned out when singing in the shower--how was Arin to know? 

In any case, all their talk during their recording sessions was just for comedic purposes, right? Ever since Arin had accepted he'd been crushing on his co-host, he'd almost immediately had to bottle up those feelings. Dan had said it on the show before--he was straight. Simple as that. Arin didn't want to put Dan in that kind of position. So he brushed it all off as a joke. Their gay banter while in front of the microphones wasn't the real thing, but Arin desperately wished Dan would take it seriously. Still, right now, he couldn't extinguish the small flame in his stomach. The small chance that Dan knew exactly what he was saying, and Arin had been misreading him all this time. But were that the case, why would Dan not have said anything sooner?

"Yo, Arin," Dan's voice jolted Arin out of his reverie. Arin hadn't even noticed the water turn off.

Arin jumped back along the wall, mumbling, "Jesus, dude," setting a hand over his fluttering heart. It didn't help when he noticed Dan was shirtless with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"The fuck are you doing?" Dan asked, a playful smirk on his face, his wet hair matted down, sending drips of water cascading over his thin face.

"You know, making sure you're not jackin' off in my shower," Arin said, trying to play it cool.

"I thought you said we in the Grumps house share everything," Dan grinned.

"Fuck off, man," Arin snorted.

Dan laughed--god, even that was musical in and of itself--before saying, "I was in the middle of it. You should join me next time, if you're just gonna creep out here like a jackass."

"I wasn't creeping, I was on my way to tell Ross to hurry it up in there," Arin quickly lied. 

"Mmhm," Dan hummed skeptically, still looking amused. "Well, you have fun with that."

"I will," Arin said haughtily.

"Fine," Dan said with an equally sarcastic, haughty tone.

"Fine!" Arin laughed, almost losing his facade when Dan clapped a hand over Arin's shoulder as he passed, letting it linger a moment longer than necessary before he re-entered the bathroom. Arin took a deep breath, rubbing his hands over his face, feeling bad about now needing to follow through with the lie he told Dan. 

He hammered on the door, saying, "Would you two rabbits hurry up? Some of us can't work over the sound of two manatees humping."

Ross's insulted accent flew through the door, "We're more like kangaroos, or koalas. Get it right."

"Can't rush perfection," Holly chimed in.

"I wouldn't go that far," Ross mumbled. Arin rolled his eyes before walking back towards the kitchen, not wanting to hear what, or who, came next for the aussy duo. 

When Arin spotted his sandwich waiting idly, he almost clapped a hand to his forehead. How could he have let his fantasies distract him from lunch? He hated recording on an empty stomach. It made him more irritable and much less fun to be around, particularly when one man in particular was about to be stuck in a small booth with him for several hours. He snatched it up and took a large bite, the deli meat fresh from Barry and Kevin's run to the grocery store. They took shifts on who got to supply food to the Grumps fridge. 

"You ready, dude?" Dan's voice echoed down the hall as he approached, now (thankfully) clothed. 

"G've a man a min' to ea' 'is well deserve' lunch," Arin said around the mouthful of food.

Dan chuckled, "I'm counting from sixty."

Arin flipped him off with a grin, chowing down quickly in the efforts of a challenge. When he was done eating and they'd grabbed sodas, they went downstairs to the studio for the day's gaming session.

~~~

Two days later, Arin had to say, he was thankful that the workers in charge of the water main by Dan's apartment didn't have the problem fixed. That just meant Dan would have to keep showering in the Grumps house, which meant more time listening to the musician sing, whether or not he was doing it on purpose. 

Arin leaned against the wall in his usual spot as Danny occupied the bathroom, today's first song of choice being "Eye of the Tiger." Arin found himself quietly singing along, letting Dan's voice overpower most of the duet. He started zoning out again, not noticing when his editor approached from behind.

"Enjoying yourself?" Barry asked softly in Arin's ear.

Arin jumped again, mumbling curses and snapping, "No."

Barry laughed, "Dude, he's probably waiting for you to get your ass in there."

"You're hilarious, Bare," Arin drawled, stalking back towards the kitchen.

"No, seriously," Barry replied, following him. "Everyone in the house knows you two have a thing for each other. Don't forget, I'm the one who had to sit through hours of you two trying not to make out mid-session every other episode."

"It's not like that. That's just for the lovelies' amusement," Arin said, sitting down at the table and resting his chin in his hand.

Barry snorted dramatically, "Sure it is. And Ninja Brian has a secret love of baking pink cupcakes."

"So what if he does?" Arin asked. "It's not my business what the man does in his free time."

"I'm just saying, dude, he does this in the apartment, too."

Arin paused, blinking and asking, "What?"

"Oh yeah," Barry nodded. "This isn't the first time he's sang in the shower. And certainly not the first time he's changed lyrics to fit you in."

Arin narrowed his eyes, "You're fuckin' with me, aren't you?"

"Are you kidding? Everyone's been waiting for you two to just ride each other already. We have bets and everything."

"Woah, woah, you made _bets_?"

"Yup," Barry said smugly, crossing his arms. "Kevin lost within the first week. He thought you two were already dating."

Arin stared at him in disbelief. "You...really think Dan is being serious?"

"Is the Queen of England a woman?"

Dan said, "That's debatable, she's a tough cookie," from behind them. He was clothed in a loose button down shirt and jeans, hair still damp.

"Oh, uh, hey Dan," Arin said awkwardly.

"Welp, I'll leave you two to it," Barry smiled before quickly leaving the premises.

Arin shifted in his seat, asking, "So...how much did you...?"

"Enough," Dan said, walking over to take the seat next to Arin.

Arin frowned, mustering up whatever courage he had to ask, "So...is Barry right?"

Dan wasn't looking at Arin, but he grinned at the question. "Don't ask stupid questions, big cat."

"Wait...what? I thought-"

"I was straight?" Dan supplied, turning to lock eyes with the younger man. "Well...I dunno, things change. I never really thought much about experimenting until you, so...maybe demisexual?"

Arin felt like he was dreaming. There was no way this was happening. He hadn't dated anyone in so long, and he thought the one person in years he was interested in he had no chance with. Dan waved a hand in front of Arin's face, sing-songing, "Aaarin?" with a soft smile. "Earth to Egoraptor."

Arin blinked, "Right, sorry, just...I'm...fuck man, I'm trying not to get my hopes up."

"In case of what?" Dan asked, puzzled.

"You change your mind, or this is a dream I really don't wanna wake up from," Arin admitted. 

"Well," Dan grinned, scooting closer, making goosebumps rise on Arin's arms. "I've had a few years of getting to know you in close quarters pretty well, already. So I'd say I don't think I've judged my feelings wrong."

"Yeah?" Arin asked, smiling despite his anxiety building up.

"Yeah," Dan said, starting to lean closer. Arin's mouth felt dry. He dreaded that any moment Dan was going to lean back, laugh, maybe punch Arin's shoulder and call him an idiot before they'd have to go start recording.

But that didn't happen. Before Arin could rightly process what was happening, Dan's mouth was gently pressing against his, their lips sliding to lock together like they were built for each other. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Dan having to be the one to break the kiss, leaning back just enough to catch Arin's reaction. Arin's eyes were still half shut, a warmth erupting throughout his chest and somewhere a bit lower than his stomach.

"You okay, big cat?" Dan asked quietly.

"Very," Arin said, setting a hand on Dan's jaw, moving to close the gap between them once more, craving Dan's mouth on his again. Dan responded with a hand on Arin's hip, this kiss a bit more earnest and eager, involving several small partitions of their mouths that continued moving in sync together. Arin felt tingles shoot across his skin like lightning when Dan's tongue brushed along his lower lip. Arin hummed softly, borderline groaning, making Dan smirk and repeat the process. The makeout left them both slightly breathless by the time they broke apart, Arin saying, "Should uh...maybe we continue in the booth maybe?" not caring that his words were jumbled.

Dan giggled with his usual musical mirth, saying, "Right behind you," and placing a kiss on Arin's cheek before standing. 

Arin hadn't felt so elated in weeks, jumping up and theatrically saying, "Tally-ho, then! Onward to glory!" before charging down the hall towards the stairs.

"Waiteth for me, sir knight, there be dangers beyond--nevermind," Danny laughed as he ran after his partner.


	2. Chapter 2

“I’ll see you at the house, then?” Danny asked, grabbing his leather jacket and slipping it on.

“Yeah, dude, I need coffee before I can begin the headache of editing raw material,” Barry replied groggily. Dan had been woken a good hour before the editor by the sound of the phone ringing, the manager calling to let his patrons know about the water main issue. Dan took the liberty of filling Barry in on the situation before getting ready to head to the Grump house for the day. 

“Fair enough,” Danny waved, “see you there, Bare.”

“Yup,” Barry waved with a tired smile as the door shut behind Dan.

Dan drove the short distance to his workplace, parking and running his hands through his hair. Living without water was going to be a nightmare. On top of it all, the man he worked with on an almost daily basis was both out of his league and uninterested. In short, things were pretty shitty.

Be that as it may, the bills had to get paid somehow, so Dan forced himself to get out of the car and walk up to the door, not bothering to knock. He guessed he was more irked than he realized when the door slammed behind him harder than he’d meant to close it.

"Is not-so-grump a bit more grump than usual?" Danny heard Arin call. He allowed himself a momentary grin—the way Arin cared was sweet, though his obliviousness was getting annoying.

"I'm not in the mood," Dan sighed as he strolled into view. He ran his fingers through his curly hair as a force of nervous habit.

"What's up, man?" Arin asked, turning to give Dan his full attention, leaning back against the counter. God, there was something sexy about that pose. 

Dan shook his head to snap out of it. "It's nothing, just the shit fest that is Barry and I's apartment," Dan grumbled. "A water main or something broke and now the whole building is out of running water. Not even the goddamn toilets work, man, and Barry left a present in there that's already festering."

Arin snorted, "Oh come on, it can't be that bad. But that does sound suckish."

"Very suckish," Dan agreed. "I didn't get the chance to shower this morning," he pouted. He did enjoy his morning showers.

"Dude, just use the Grump community shower."

Danny supposed he should’ve thought of that sooner. "You sure?" he asked anyway, for the sake of being polite.

"It's the Grump house for a reason," Arin grinned, gesturing down the hall. "What's here is everyone's to share."

"Are STDs included on that list?" Dan smirked, not able to help the comment after hearing a cacophony of sounds coming from the guest room that Ross and Holly were sharing.

"I sure hope not," Arin chuckled, "but really, take your time, we can start the sesh a little late."

"I appreciate it, man," Dan smiled. He wished he could hear Arin chuckle again, but didn’t want to press awkwardly for more jokes. Instead, he turned and headed down the hall for the bathroom. 

He turned on the fan and ran some water, not sure how long it’d take the hot water in the Grump house to get to the shower. As he waited, he rifled around for a towel, thankful it didn’t smell musty or of mildew, which he admitted he’d been expecting. Barry must take better care of the place than he anticipated.

He stripped his clothes after the water got warm and stepped in, glad to see there weren’t many bottles of soap to choose from. Without thinking, he started humming the intro to “Your Love”. He felt it was a very relevant song for his relationship with Arin. At this point, he almost couldn’t not sing in the shower, or it felt far too silent for him. And, as he usually did when he was in the privacy of a bathroom, relaxing in the steam of the shower, he changed up the lyrics to be more personal as he massaged shampoo into his hair.

“Arin’s on a vacation far away, come around and talk it over,” he sang, meaning to make it quiet, but hoping the sound of the fan masked some of it. “So many things that I wanna say, you know I like my guys a little bit younger.” His only consolation at this rate was figuring Arin was busy eating his sandwich, or perhaps talking to Suzy. “I just wanna use your love, toniiight,” he continued the song with a slight frown, his jealousy of the way he saw Arin interact with Suzy boiling up, further causing him to forget to censor his volume. “I don’t wanna lose your love toniiight.” 

Danny started feeling the dull ache in his chest again when he considered he could be dating Arin. But Arin was so used to hearing Danny’s gay banter as jokes that it’d probably be useless to try anything at this point. 

“Try to stop my hands from shakin', somethin' in my mind's not makin' sense. It's been awhile since we were all alone; I can't hide the way I'm feelin',” the song continued. Dan shut his eyes, letting the shampoo rinse out of his locks as he tried not to slip into a depressive state. He used to have no problems with depression, up until his conflicting feelings about his co-host and the realization that a relationship between them wasn’t likely. But he couldn’t let it get to him, not right before a recording session. 

He skipped using body wash and conditioner, shutting the water off and drying his skin before wrapping the towel around his waist. He poked his head out the door to see if Arin still happened to be in the kitchen, surprised when the comedian himself was leaning just outside the door. “Yo, Arin,” Danny said with a sheepish smile growing on his face. Had Arin just heard that whole song?

Arin jumped, making Danny feel slightly guilty for scaring him. “Jesus, dude,” Arin mumbled.

"The fuck are you doing?" Dan asked, a playful smirk on his face, trying not to think about Arin listening to him sing so he wouldn’t blush.

"You know, making sure you're not jackin' off in my shower," Arin said.

"I thought you said we in the Grumps house share everything," Dan grinned.

"Fuck off, man," Arin snorted.

Dan laughed, "I was in the middle of it. You should join me next time, if you're just gonna creep out here like a jackass." He paused, not meaning to escalate things that quickly, particularly right after--

"I wasn't creeping, I was on my way to tell Ross to hurry it up in there," Arin said, interrupting Dan’s train of thought.

"Mmhm," Dan hummed skeptically, still nervous he’d been taken the wrong way again. "Well, you have fun with that."  
"I will," Arin said haughtily.

"Fine," Dan said with an equally sarcastic tone.

"Fine!" Arin laughed. Dan grinned as he quickly ducked back into the bathroom to get dressed. He was still a bit giddy with the new knowledge that Arin was definitely listening to his shower show.

After Dan had run a towel through his hair to try to mop up some of the soggy mess, he left the bathroom, calling, "You ready, dude?"   
"G've a man a min' to ea' 'is well deserve' lunch," Arin said around a mouthful of food.

Dan chuckled, "I'm counting from sixty." He watched in silent amazement at Arin scarfing down the sandwich at Dan’s challenge, which was both disgusting and yet endearing, before the two of them headed to the basement for the day’s recordings.

~~~

Two days later, and the water main by Dan’s apartment still wasn’t fixed. While he wasn’t impressed with the construction workers, he supposed it was probably a tougher job than it seemed. Besides, this just meant he had more opportunities to test his theory about singing in the Grump shower.

He started with Eye of the Tiger for fun, as he hadn’t heard the tune in awhile, and danced in the stall as much as he could with the tight fit of his long limbs. As he was scrubbing soap over his body with a wash cloth, he started singing Wish You were Here, a stark contrast to his first song of choice, but one of his favorites nonetheless. 

“How I wish, how I wish you were here,” he sang, wondering if Arin was on the other side of the door. “We’re just two lost souls swimmin’ in a fish bowl, year after year. Runnin’ over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fear—wish you were here.” As he trailed off the last notes of the tune, he turned off the water, stepping out of the shower to dry off. He half expected Arin to open the door, fulfilling the wish in the song, but when it didn’t happen, Danny sighed and left the bathroom. 

As he approached the kitchen, he slowed, overhearing Barry say, “--been waiting for you two to just ride each other already. We have bets and everything."  
"Woah, woah, you made bets?" Arin asked, clearly astounded. Danny’s face scrunched up in confusion; did Barry mean Arin and Suzy?

"Yup," Barry said. "Kevin lost within the first week. He thought you two were already dating."  
Arin took a moment before replying, "You...really think Dan is being serious?"

Dan’s stomach twisted. He knew he should’ve felt happy, but he hadn’t expected that everyone except the person that mattered had been taking his hints seriously.

"Is the Queen of England a woman?" Barry continued, neither of them knowing Danny was there.

Dan took a deep breath and said, "That's debatable, she's a tough cookie," to announce his presence, walking into the room, watching Arin.

"Oh, uh, hey Dan," Arin said awkwardly. So at least he also hadn’t known about the bets.

"Welp, I'll leave you two to it," Barry smiled before hurrying away.

Arin shifted in his seat, asking, "So...how much did you...?"

"Enough," Dan replied, walking over to take the seat next to Arin. His heart rate was probably at an unhealthy pace, but he couldn’t calm it.

Arin frowned, hesitating before asking the question Dan had been afraid he’d ask: "So...is Barry right?"

Dan couldn’t look at Arin, but he grinned at the question. "Don't ask stupid questions, big cat." While his heartbeat wasn’t any slower, he was oddly at ease. He supposed he was happy they were just finally being forced to talk about it.

"Wait...what? I thought-"

"I was straight?" Dan supplied, expecting as much. He finally locked eyes with his friend, not sure how to continue. "Well...I dunno, things change. I never really thought much about experimenting until you, so...maybe demisexual?"

Arin started spacing out. Dan started growing afraid this was somehow a prank, that soon Arin would start laughing and Barry could come back around the corner with a video camera. The thought made him sick, so Dan waved a hand in front of Arin's face to make him answer, sing-songing, "Aaarin? Earth to Egoraptor."

Arin blinked, "Right, sorry, just...I'm...fuck man, I'm trying not to get my hopes up."

"In case of what?" Dan asked, confused, as that was not the response he’d been expecting.

"You change your mind, or this is a dream I really don't wanna wake up from.”

"Well," Dan grinned softly, scooting closer, growing more confident. He had to make a move now, or he’d lose his nerve. "I've had a few years of getting to know you in close quarters pretty well, already. So I'd say I don't think I've judged my feelings wrong."

"Yeah?" Arin asked.

"Yeah," Dan said quietly, barely able to function anymore. No matter the consequences, he had to be sure. He bit the bullet for both of them, closing the distance between their mouths into a gentle kiss. He felt his anxiety, his confusion, his feeling of loss, everything dissipated as their lips made contact. Dan couldn’t properly explain it, but it felt so right. Like this was where he belonged.

When he realized Arin seemed equally frozen, Dan took the liberty of backing off in case Arin had actually been joking. “You okay, big cat?” Dan asked.

“Very,” Arin replied, surprising Dan when he was the one to close the gap between them this time. A shot of adrenaline rushed through Dan as Arin’s hand cupped his jaw, fueling him as their mouths made contact again. And again. And again. 

Dan’s mind switched to autopilot. Arin had hardly been his first kiss, but it was new, and it was exciting, and god damn if it wasn’t the best feeling in the world to have a sense of closure. Each kiss gave him a buzz, and he experimentally flicked his tongue along Arin’s lip. At Arin’s distinct sound of pleasure, Dan grinned, deciding on one of his new favorite sounds and doing it again to draw it out. 

By the time they were satisfied, they were both a bit breathless, Dan leaving his hand on Arin’s waist. The relief Dan felt was incredible. He felt like he could take on the world, so long as Arin was at his side.

"Should uh...maybe we continue in the booth maybe?" Arin said.

Dan giggled, finding Arin’s jumbled speech rather adorable. "Right behind you," he grinned, placing a kiss on Arin's cheek in a final fit of confidence.

Arin jumped up, theatrically saying, "Tally-ho, then! Onward to glory!" before charging down the hall towards the stairs.

"Waiteth for me, sir knight, there be dangers beyond--nevermind," Danny laughed as he chased Arin, excited for the upcoming weeks, months, and if he was lucky, the remaining upcoming years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: the lyrics to "Your Love" and "Wish You Were Here" are not mine, they are songs by The Outfield and Pink Floyd, respectively :) ps i highly recommend y'all listen to Danny's Under the Covers album if you haven't yet


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well i think this is gonna be my final chapter of this unless i get overwhelming feedback or a good suggestion for something to add--if there's anything anyone wants to see don't be afraid to let me know! a huge thank you to everyone who's given this a read :3

"That's because I'm fuckin' talkin' with my friend Dan, havin' a great time, chillin' out with my bro."

"That's what we're doin'," Dan agreed, trying to watch Arin play Dark Souls but only managing to watch his friend's face.

"That's what I like to call you: my bro," Arin continued, smirking even as he focused on the screen.

Dan chuckled and couldn't resist the urge to say what came next: "My sweet sexy bro who I want to _fuck_."

"I love how he--wwwhat?" Arin said, somehow not expecting the sudden escalation. It didn't help that they'd admitted to their feelings for one another the day before.

"Uuuhh y'know, like...like bros," Dan said quietly, suddenly embarrassed due to Arin's reaction. He quickly said, "Next time on Game Grumps," to try to avoid taking it further, but what was said was done.

Arin grinned, eagerly continuing, "Things that bros do. List of things that bros do: A. Fuck. B. Uuuhh..."

Dan snorted, "Never talk about it."

Arin could barely hold back any longer, so he hit the button to pause the video recording, forgetting their microphones were left on between sessions. "First rule of bro-fuck club."

"First rule of bro-fuckin'," Dan laughed, easily bouncing off Arin's comedy.

"Don't talk about bro fucking," Arin said firmly, as they did in Fight Club.

"And if possible, don't fuck your bros," Dan giggled, giving Arin an eyebrow wiggle.

"Probably a bad choice, too," Arin laughed nervously.

"Oh, shit man, turn these things off," Dan said, also having forgotten about the microphones.

"Shit, good call. Kevin don't put that in," Arin put a hand over the microphone as he turned his off, Dan doing the same. Arin continued, "So...don't fuck your bros, huh?" giving Dan a coy smirk.

"Unless you know your bros very, very well," Dan flashed a sheepish grin, leaning to give Arin a kiss. It felt no different than the first time--a jolt of excitement pulsed through him, as well as a wish to continue. They had just wrapped up recording for the day, and the videos they'd done had been particularly riddled with sexual banter, no doubt due to their newfound openness with each other. The dirty jokes just came easier now.

Arin chortled, "Alright, if you say so," sarcastically, moving to return the kiss.

"I do say so," Dan huffed, scooting closer to Arin, leaning over him, forcing him to lay back as he gave him another kiss.

Arin reached a hand up, curling his fingers through Dan's hair, humming as they started making out on the grump couch. Dan grinned, thinking about how cute Arin sounded, nipping his lower lip. 

Arin mumbled, "Dude, maybe we shouldn't be doing this if there's a chance Kevin or Barry or someone comes in."

Dan pouted, "But they already suspect we came out to each other."

"Yeah, but man, I don't know if I'm ready to be fully open to them about it. Let them figure it out on their own time, y'know?"

Dan sighed, sitting back, "Alright, if you say so. Hey, I'm gonna hit the shower before I take off."

"Now that, I don't mind," Arin smiled. "Sorry, though."

"Don't be, dude, I want you to be comfortable," Dan said, standing and offering Arin a hand up. Dan stretched, his hands almost hitting the ceiling, Arin jumping at the opportunity and tickling the taller man. Dan yelped, scrunching his arms back down and in, laughing and trying to squirm away from Arin's relentless hands. 

Arin smiled, finally letting up so Dan could breathe, the latter panting and swatting at Arin as he said, "Not cool, bro!" though he was also grinning.

"I couldn't resist," Arin shrugged. "Let's get you up to the shower."

"Right," Dan sighed, straightening his shirt and trying to tame his hair from where Arin's hand had mussed it up. They made their way upstairs, Arin once again leaving Dan in the kitchen while Dan continued down the hall to the bathroom. He turned the water on and removed his shirt, pausing out of curiosity and opening the door. He peered around the corner, Arin jumping from where he'd already taken up a spot against the wall by the door, blushing madly. 

"Uh..." Arin said suavely.

Dan snorted, "Dude, if you're gonna hang out here, why not just...join me?"

Arin blinked, "What?"

"We'll be seeing each other naked eventually, probably. Just guys being bros," Dan grinned, exhibiting much more confidence than he actually felt. "And if you don't actually want to stand in the shower with me, you can just...sit on the sink or something."

"Well, I mean..." Arin rubbed his neck. "Fuck it, I guess. Alright, sure."

It was Dan's turn to blink. "Wait really?"

"You invited me," Arin pointed out, glancing around to make sure no one would witness this before stepping into the bathroom with Dan. It was probably the fact that the shower was running, but it already felt steamy.

"I...okay," Dan said, not actually having expected Arin to agree but not exactly minding. He awkwardly started removing his pants, not completely uncomfortable being in just his boxers, but still feeling oddly exposed now that Arin was more than a good friend. "You...coming in, or?"

"Oh, uh..." Arin said, snapping out of staring at Dan undressing. "I mean...guess it's only fair, right?" he grinned, removing his own shirt. Dan didn't mind the fact that Arin had a bit of pudge in his belly--in fact, he found it rather endearing and lovable, unlike his own twig-like frame. "Should we like...remove our underwear at the same time or something?"

Dan snorted, "If that'd make you feel better. I doubt you have anything to hide."

"Yeah, well," Arin blushed, "on three?"

"On three," Dan agreed. "Three..."

"Two."

"One," they said together, shedding their boxers. It was somehow less of a shock than either of them had expected. Arin looked back up to Dan's face, saying, "Well. Just dudes being bros."

"Bros being guys," Dan grinned, stepping into the shower and making a dramatic beckoning motion.

Arin shook his head, walking after him, glad the grump shower wasn't a small stall. He stepped behind the curtain, trying to overcome the new proximity to his naked co-host. Dan said, "Welcome to my humble abode," in a deep, sensual tone, making the hair on Arin's arms stand.

"Gee, thanks, great place you got here," Arin replied, watching the water from the shower dampen Dan's hair down and roll over his shoulders. 

"Thanks," Dan chuckled, running his hands through his hair to saturate it more, trading places with Arin so he could stand under the running water and not get cold. The temperature wasn't uncomfortably hot, but it had a pleasant warmth. As Dan started massaging shampoo into his own mop of hair, he started humming, Arin recognizing it as "We Close Our Eyes." Arin had to admit, he never thought he'd find himself in this situation, but he soon started hoping he'd get to do it more often. 

"And if you think I'm worth it, and if you think it's not too late, we might start falling. If we don't try too hard, we might start falling in love," Dan sang softly, Arin smiling at the way Dan showed his affections. He traded spots with Dan again, surprised when Dan gently took Arin's shoulders, turning him to face the other way before Arin felt Dan's arms around him, both of them under the cascading water. Dan continued humming, tucking his head close to Arin's ear, Arin turning his head and shutting his eyes to listen, all but forgetting they were in the shower. 

After they'd wrapped up showering, they helped dry each other off and got dressed, Arin checking a clock and realizing they'd been in the shower for a good forty minutes. "Shit, that's awkward..." he mumbled.

Dan shrugged, "If anyone noticed, they'll deal with it," kissing Arin's cheek before leaving the bathroom for the kitchen. "Do you mind if I actually just...stay here for the night?" he asked. "If the water's still off at my place, I don't want to bother going home."

"Fair enough, man. We can make a sleepover out of it."

"Oh can we?" Dan smirked.

"Sure we can. There's plenty of room in...oh," Arin finally got the implication. 

"I know there is, big cat," Dan chuckled, patting Arin's back before rifling through the cabinets for food. 

"We could just order a pizza, you know," Arin suggested.

"Doesn't sound bad," Dan nodded. "Do you eat taco pizza?"

"Sure," Arin shrugged, "pizza is pizza."

"Touche my friend," Dan said, getting out his phone to dial the pizza place.

Several hours later, after stuffing themselves with pizza and watching Space Balls, they found themselves cuddled up on the Grump couch. They didn't want to use the room Ross and Holly used, as neither of them were sure the last time the sheets in there had been washed, and their new couch was larger and comfier than the last. Besides, there were plenty of pillows to nest in, and they could say they ended up passing out after a recording session ran later than they thought. 

Dan had his arm tucked around Arin, Arin gladly cuddling his head up under Dan's chin. Dan had a hand on Arin's thigh, the leftover pizza sitting in its box in front of them, where the lazy pair had left it after devouring it. Arin said, "Uh...hey Dan?"

"Yeah, Arin?" Dan replied, eyes shut, feeling more relaxed than he had been in a long time.

"Could...you sing a little?" Arin asked shyly.

Dan grinned, kissing the top of Arin's head before starting to hum a slow tune. Arin knew it as the tune of Madrigal, not upset with the song choice. Dan skipped to the second verse, Arin chipping in and humming so Dan could keep pace. "When life becomes as barren and as cold as winter skies, there's a beacon in the darkness in a distant pair of eyes. In vain to search for honor, in vain to search for truth--but these things can still be given; your love has shown me proof."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another disclaimer--the lyrics to We Close Our Eyes and Madrigal aren't mine, they're originally by Oingo Boingo and Rush, respectively. Also, the dialogue in the beginning of the chapter is directly out of a game grumps episode--Dark Souls 3 episode 34 to be exact. It's a great series, I'd highly recommend it to any Grumps fan! let me know what y'all thought, and yes I know things got dangerously close to smut there, but I did say no smut in the tags, so don't get too grumpy with me X3


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